Elwood Boys Soccer Team Earns Numerous Postseason Awards

ELWOOD, NY — The Elwood-John H. Glenn High School’s varsity boys soccer team scored several achievements and accolades this year.

The Knights went 13-2-1 and were named league and county champions, the No. 1 Class A playoff seed and the seventh-ranked team in New York state.

At the Suffolk County Soccer Coaches Association’s All-Star Awards Banquet in December, goalkeeper Tyler Ziminski won the Bill Lown Small School Player of the Year award and was named All-Conference, All-County, All-State, All-Region (a first in school history), the SCSCA’s Exceptional Senior in the All-Star Game, and League VIII MVP and Keeper of the Year. Ziminski, a senior, finished the season with an incredible 13 shutouts, raising his career total to 30.

Also earning All-Conference honors were three juniors: forward Cooper Kassan, forward Isaac Perez and midfielder Jake Piacentini. Two defenders, junior Peter Bell and senior James Mossey, earned All-League designation. Senior Davin Li was named Academic All-County and a News 12 Scholar-Athlete. Eli Tyll, Matthew Riberic and Sam Voege won John Glenn’s Coaches Award, with Tyll earning the SCSCA’s Captain Alex Fyfe Courage Award.

The superlative efforts of the team’s staff were also recognized. Head coach Lou Hanner won Suffolk County’s John Eden Small School Coach of the Year award, and assistant coach Chris Riley was named United Soccer Coaches 2024 East Region High School Assistant Coach of the Year.

Additionally, Hanner, Riley and assistant coach Don O’Brien were named League Coaching Staff of the Year.

"We just had an incredible year," Hanner said. "The kids did fantastic. We’ve been really close to winning the county title before, we’ve been to the semifinals 10 of the last 12 years so to finally win it was special."

Athletic Director Dave Shanahan said the team had a "fantastic year."

"The coaching staff and student-athletes made us all proud of their exceptional season," Shanahan said. "Their postseason honors are well deserved. Congratulations to Coach Hanner, his staff and all of the postseason award winners."